A computational model of rubato

Abstract

Presented is a model of rubato, implemented in Lisp, in which expression is viewed as the mapping of musical structure into the variables of expression. The basic idea is that the performer uses phrase final lengthening” as a device to reflect some internal representation of the phrase structure. The representation is based on Lardahl and Jackendoff's time-span reduction. The basic heuristic in the model is recursive involving look-ahead and planning at a number of levels. The planned phrasings are superposed beat by beat and the output from the program is a list of durations which could easily be adapted to be sent to a synthesiser given a suitable system. © 1989, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.